U.S. Skating Body Denies Secret Deal With Russia To Fix Ice Dancing

Claims made in a French newspaper are 'categorically false', says U.S. Figure Skating

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U.S. Figure Skating has denied allegations it struck a backroom deal with Russia to fix the Sochi Olympics’ Feb. 17 ice dance results in favor of an American couple.

An anonymous Russian coach was quoted in the French newspaper L’Equipe claiming the United States and Russia agreed to let Team USA’s Meryl Davis and Charlie White win the ice dance gold, and Russia win both pairs and the team event. U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s national governing body, rejected the claims as “categorically false,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Comments made in a L’Equipe story are categorically false,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “There is no ‘help’ between countries. We have no further response to rumors, anonymous sources or conjecture.” A spokesperson for the International Skating Union said in an email to the L.A. Times Saturday, “The ISU does not react to allegations without evidence.”

Allegations of score-fixing at the ice dancing competition at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 led the International Skating Union to revamp the entire scoring and judging system to prevent score trading.

[LAT]

(MORE: Day 2 at the Sochi Games: From women’s snowboard slopestyle to men’s skiathlon)